Travellers Rest City Lord

Xue Yang playfully whistled as he walked through the city lord's manor and admired the various works of art prominently displayed in the empty halls.

He technically was an artist in his previous life. 

Still, he couldn't say he appreciated art or understood its value.

'All this must have cost a fortune… what a waste.' Xue Yang shook his head.

He personally liked to live frugally.

All it took to make Xue Yang happy in his previous life was a decent kitchen, a full fridge and a roof over his head.

He didn't find the need for a massive home that could house tens of people or expensive works of art that just stood there, collecting dust.

The hallways of the manor, as the rooms were empty.

Most people inside the building had run out to deal with the trouble in town.

Those unsuited for combat ran away or hid wherever they could.

Xue Yang could sense some mortals hiding and quivering like rats in some rooms but chose to ignore them.

Despite not being in this world long, he was already acclimating nicely and found himself thinking more and more like a native being.

Xue Yang had no reason to go out of his way to fight or harm them.

Odds were that they wouldn't survive the night, regardless of what he did.

Even if they managed to bypass the ghouls rampaging in town, they would still need to deal with wild beasts, dangerous terrain in the night and potential bandits and other unsavoury folk.

Xue Yang went upstairs and headed directly towards the city lord's room.

He reached the double door and opened it with a smile.

Inside the room, the city lord, Li Huafu, was still inside his bed, playing with two women.

He spoke to him without looking up at Xue Yang, thinking Zhen Zhi had finally brought Bai Ling.

"Good job, Zhen Zhi. You can rest now, and you come and join us, my love."

"Wow, I appreciate the offer, but I can't say you're my type."

Hearing the unknown voice of a man, he finally stops what he is doing and looks in Xue Yang's direction with a frown.

"Who the hell are you, kid, and why did you barge into my room?"

"I am Xue Yang."

"Never heard of you." He replies bluntly with a slight growl in his tone.

As he tilts his head, Xue Yang becomes visibly confused.

"But you just did?"

"Aren't you a funny kid? Now get lost while I'm still in a good mood."

Xue Yang shakes his head with a slight frown.

"I can't do that. But I can let you get dressed before you die. Fighting a naked man isn't really something I'm interested in."

"HA HA HA HA!" Li Huafu roared with laughter.

"Kids these days seem to be getting more and more impudent."

He then starts releasing his cultivation base in an attempt to threaten and scare Xue Yang off. 

Unfortunately for him, it had the opposite effect instead.

'Oh, he is in the Body Tempering realm. That's quite impressive for a backwater place like this. This should be fun.'

Li Huafu was showing the aura of a cultivator in the Body Tempering realm.

"Don't be so eager to die, boy. You might be in the peak of the Core Formation realm, but you stand no chance against me. Fighting three realms up is practically impossible.

However, if you wish to throw your life away, I'll gladly help you. But let me finish my fun first, then I can entertain you momentarily."

With that, he tried turning his attention to one of the women at his side, completely disregarding Xue Yang's presence.

This act irritated Xue Yang, causing him to act first.

He raised his right arm and snapped his fingers, causing the two women's heads to explode into a bloody mess.

Blood and shards of bone flew in all directions.

Not expecting this sudden turn of events, Li Huafu failed to envelop his body with his qi, allowing fragments of bone to puncture and cut his face.

With a blank expression, he slowly turned towards Xue Yang.

His breathing became heavy and rapid.

Wiping the blood from his face, he slowly got up, putting on a nearby robe in the process.

"I don't know what kind of trick that was or how you did it, but that will be the last mistake of your miserable existence." He threatened in a low voice.

"Heh, if I had a penny…" Xue Yang joked, completely relaxed despite his actions.

Li Huafu saw his easygoing demeanour and used it to his advantage.

Despite his large and heavy build, Li Huafu was a skilled and formidable fighter.

Thanks to his strength, he controlled the town and its more seedy elements with an iron fist.

He appeared in front of Xue Yang like a bolt of lightning and threw a punch with all his strength, intending not to have mercy or to underestimate Xue Yang.

There was a reason why Xue Yang so confidently invaded his home, and Li Huafu didn't believe it was thanks to insanity.

His attack was so fast that Xue Yang didn't manage to dodge or block and got struck directly in his chest.

He flew backwards, out of the door, straight through the wall and outside into the courtyard.

Landing on his back, he skidded across the ground before tumbling backwards and finally stopping.

"Ow. This is my second time flying through a wall in this town. Is it some sort of greeting?" He jokingly asked himself as he circulated his qi to speed up his healing process.

His ribs were cracked after that strike, and while they would heal quickly, it would be stupid to risk everything just to fight fairly.

As Xue Yang laid there, recovering, Li Huafu grabbed his sword and walked towards the hole in the wall, only to witness a shocking sight.

In front of him was a town in flames.